Gather your mis en place; get together all of the equipment needed for the recipe and gather all of the ingredients.

Cut the dates in half with a paring knife and remove the pit. (The dates should be quite soft; if they are hard, pour 1 cup of boiling water over the dates and let sit 10 minutes, then strain out water and discard.) Place in a bowl.

Measure and place in separate bowls, chia seeds, coconut oil, vanilla, and any other optional add ins (cinnamon, chocolate chips, dried fruit, or coconut).

To the bowl of a food processor, add the dates, coconut oil, vanilla, and chia seeds. If using any optional add ins, add up to 2 tablespoons of the add ins into the food processor as well.

Pulse ingredients in the food processor until the dates form a smooth paste. Hold onto the food processor tightly, as this dough is very thick and tends to take the food processor for a bit of a ride! Using a spatula, carefully scrape the dough out of the food processor and into a bowl.

Roll the dough into small balls, about 2 cm each. Place them on a clean baking sheet and put them in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes so they become a bit firmer.

Remove the balls from the refrigerator and roll the balls in either cocoa powder or coconut to decorate the outside of them. 

Serve cold or at room temperature. Try experimenting with different flavour additions!